An age-old dilemma

 Problems with noise have existed

since the invention of the wheel!
 Even in the first century B.C.,
Julius Caesar banned chariots
from Rome to cut down the clatter
of wheels against the stone
streets.
 The EPA once declared noise the
nation’s “most widespread
nuisance.”
What is noise?

noise is unwanted sound.

Sound is a form of energy which is emitted by a
vibrating body and on reaching the ear causes the
sensation of hearing through nerves.

Sounds produced by all vibrating bodies are not

audible. The frequency limits of audibility
are from 20 HZ to 20,000 HZ.
 Human hearing and Frequency

0 20 Hz 20 kHz 5 MHz
Sound propagation
Amplitude and wavelength
(period)
 Why worry about noise?
 Of all the pollution concerns:
– Air,water,land, and noise; noise pollution is
the one that has the potential for the most
damage to humans and wildlife.
– It is a hidden health hazard that impacts
our physical, psychological and intellectual
well being.
– Our ears never shut down, even while we
are sleeping, so the input is constant.
Decibels

Decibels (dB) are the units normally used to state

the strength of sound
Power and watts
Power, or sound energy (w =
work) radiated by a source per unit
of time, is measured in watts.
 Intensity: Sound transmitted
per unit time through a unit area
Intensity is measured in power per unit of
area, i.e. watts/m2 or watts/cm2. Intensity
is proportional to the square of the
amplitude (A2).
If you double the amplitude of a wave, i.e.
if the ratio of the amplitudes of two sounds
is 1:2, the ratio of the intensities is 1:4;
tripling the amplitude results in a ratio of
1:9.
A chart of sound levels
 This can help determine which levels are “appropriate”
Sound pressure for known sounds
 Battle Against Noise
• Stopping sound at the
sound is the most
effective method of
dampening noise,
however it is also the
most difficult.
Shielding your ears

• Without doubt, plugging up your ears is the

cheapest and easiest method of noise control.

• If you have to be around loud noise, protecting

yourself with ear plugs is better than doing
nothing.
• Excessive exposure to loud noise and/or
exposure to a quick loud noise could cause
serious damage to your ears.
Roadway Noise - Solutions

Barriers
•Buffer zones

•Earth berms/wooden fences/concrete walls

•Vegetation (if dense enough)

 Aesthetic noise barrier:
Highway in Melbourne, Australia
Active noise control
THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT ACT, NO. 47 OF 1980

REGULATIONS made by the Minister of Transport, Environment and Women’s

Affairs under section 23P, 23Q and 23R of the National Environmental Act, No.
47 1980 read with section 32 of that Act.